MartikaBirth nameMarta MarreroBorn( 1969-05-18) May 18, 1969 (age 50), U.S.Genres,Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record producer, actressYears active1982–presentLabelsDunda Chief RecordsAssociated acts,Marta Marrero (born May 18, 1969), known as Martika, is an American and actress, who released two internationally successful albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s, selling over four million copies worldwide. Her biggest hit was ' which peaked at number 1 for two weeks in the American charts in mid-1989. She is also known for her role as Gloria on. Contents.Life and career Early life and career Martika was born in, United States, to parents from. She entered mainstream show business in an uncredited role as one of the girls in the 1982 motion picture. This led to her being cast as Gloria on the long-running children's show as one of a group of neighborhood children who rise to local fame by singing staged productions at a corner malt shop.

The album marked the solo debut for Martika, and spawned the American #1 single 'Toy Soldiers'. The song is about drug addiction, but can sound like a break-up ballad. The song was later sampled by rapper Eminem for his 2004 song 'Like Toy Soldiers' featuring Martika as the chorus singer. Listen to your favorite songs from Toy Soldiers: The Best Of Martika by Martika Now. Stream ad-free with Amazon Music Unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. Download our mobile app now.

Once the second season began, she formally adopted the stage name of Martika Marrero before shortening it to just 'Martika' and has used it ever since. Martika and many other Kids Incorporated cast members were featured in the musical numbers from the motivational video in 1984.Following her role in Kids Incorporated and Be Somebody, Martika was signed. Her first solo release was released only in Japan: 'We are Music' was recorded to promote Sony cassette tapes in the Japanese market, where the song was released in 12', 7' and CD formats.In 1987, Martika recorded a version of the Michael Jay/Gregory Smith song ' which included a which was aired on Entertainment '80, although it was not officially available. Rise to prominence Her first album, 1988's (No. 15 ) spawned the song ', which she co-wrote with her producer Michael Jay, and became a top-5 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Australia. In the US, 'Toy Soldiers' spent two weeks at No.

1 in 1989 and was certified by the. 'Toy Soldiers' also went to No.

1 in New Zealand.Two additional singles also went top 40 in the US: ' (No. 18 ) and ' (No. 25 ), which was a cover of 's song from her album. Both of those tracks also hit the top 20 on the US Dance charts and the UK Singles Chart. 'I Feel the Earth Move' also reached the top 10 in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland. A fourth and final single from the album, ', entered the lower regions of the UK and Australian charts.The album was certified gold in the US in 1989, platinum in the UK in 1990, double platinum in Australia, and sold three million copies worldwide.

In 1990, Martika co-wrote the track 'Kiss Me Quick' with Michael Jay and Marvin Morrow. The track was given to freestyle/pop singer for her 1990 album, where Martika also contributed backing vocals on the track. 1990s Martika was encouraged by her agent to combine her love of film and music by scoring soundtracks and, in 1990, she wrote and the song 'Blue Eyes Are Sensitive to the Light' for the soundtrack to the film. The producers of the album did not like her vocals and so the song was re-recorded by for the film. The song has also been recorded by Brazilian singers (on her 1991 debut, A Different Story), and.In 1991, Martika approached to do some new tracks. Among these was her second (and last) US Top-10 single, ', which also became a Top-10 hit in the UK and reached #1 in Australia.

Thy Will Be Done' started out as a prayer written by Martika, and Prince then changed it into a song.Her second album, peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard Top Albums chart. The title track received only minor airplay in the US, and reached #93 on Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, the album was a bigger success abroad, though on a lesser scale than her debut. It peaked at #15 in the, No. 9 in Australia, and spawned further hits with the songs 'Coloured Kisses' and the title track, 'Martika's Kitchen'. 'Temptation', another track from this album, was covered by on her album.Martika played the role of the lounge singer Dahlia Mendez in the cop show in 1990, opposite who took over from for the fourth and final season.She eventually faded from the public eye in 1991/1992 after walking away from the music industry, due to burnout and feeling overwhelmed with the burden of fame.In 1997, a greatest hits entitled The Best of Martika: More Than You Know was released.

It achieved sales figures of over 500,000 copies internationally. Re-emergence During the 2000 explosion of, Martika sang backing vocals on various projects and contributing lyrics to releases by other artists , although she failed to receive any major-label attention for herself. Instead she built martika.net in 2001, a website for her fans, and released a remix of a newly self-recorded song called 'The Journey'. She also recorded a track entitled 'Monday' for a new solo album which the website stated was on its way. 'The Journey' had 5,000 hits as a free download on 's music service. Eventually, however, her website was shut down, the album never materializing.In 2003, Martika and her husband, musician formed the band.

Adopting a sound, she and Mozart released Oppera's debut album Violince, in 2004. Rapper used a sample of her biggest U.S. Hit, 'Toy Soldiers', for ', a track on his 2004 album and featured Martika on the chorus of the track. It entered at No. 1 in the United Kingdom. In response, Martika's British greatest hits album was repackaged with its title altered to Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika.

A biography was added to the album insert reflecting the new Eminem sample, though it asserted that she had not released any albums since Martika's Kitchen.Oppera released a self-titled second album in 2005. Martika promoted Oppera 's release with a bookstore tour.In 2010, Martika, now going under the stage name Vida Edit, starred as Lolly Pop and co-produced a web-based television action program J8ded. The low-budget show was made available via subscription for four episodes.

In October 2011, Martika stopped using the stage name Vida Edit and launched a new personal website. She began uploading video blogs promising an upcoming album. Paint monsters. In November 2011, she announced the new album would be released in early 2012, and would be primarily house and dance music titled The Mirror Ball. She then announced the first single, 'Flow with the Go'.

The single's release was delayed, allegedly for personal reasons; according to her Facebook page, the loss of a family member. She announced the intent to release a second single, 'SloMotion', but as of July 2015 (more than three years later) neither the full-length album or the second single has surfaced. On October 1, 2012, Martika announced an Australian tour, but it was cancelled without explanation. Her official website announced that the Mirror Ball tour in the United States was due to begin in Chicago on November 19, 2012, with additional dates in. However, between 2012 and 2015 she appeared in a total of five live performances, all at small club venues. The exception was a performance in 2014 alongside, and at a HitParade Festival in.In July 2016, she was part of the 'Totally 80s Tour' of Australia.

The concerts included seven international 1980s acts, including Martika, of, from,. For her performance at the tour she received strongly positive reviews from the Australian press.Martika resided in for several years with her musician husband, concentrating on married life. Discography. Roberts, David (2006). London: Guinness World Records Limited. July 20, 2007. Retrieved December 16, 2012.

^. Retrieved January 21, 2016. ^. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved January 21, 2016. ^.

Fireball Media. Retrieved January 21, 2016.

(in German). GfK Entertainment.

Retrieved January 21, 2016. ^ Australian peaks:. Top 50 peaks:. Archived from on February 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010.

Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. ^. Retrieved January 21, 2016. ^. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2020.

British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 21, 2016. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010.

Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Paul Cashmere (June 26, 2012). Retrieved December 16, 2012.

^ Mike Devery (March 24, 2016). – via YouTube. Adams, Cameron. Retrieved November 10, 2017. Paul Cashmere (October 1, 2012).

Retrieved December 16, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Dwyer, Michael (July 16, 2016). The Sydney Morning Herald.External links. on.

at. discography at. Dennis Hunt (March 5, 1989).

Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 1, 2011. Diane Telgen; Eva M. Neito; Jim Kamp (March 1993).